1. Field
The following description relates to multi-core processors and methods of controlling the same.
2. Description of Related Art
A multi-core is a package including two or more independent cores combined into a single integrated circuit. A core in a multi-core processor is a semiconductor circuit part which, generally, does not include a shared cache memory in the core part of a circuit of a processor. However, a cache memory for exclusive use of the core (and not for sharing with other elements) is commonly included in the core. Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT) is a technique which is similar to that used by the multi-core for process management. However, SMT differs in a number of way from the multi-core's technique. For example, SMT practically has heretofore only ever been used internally, within a single core, as it not adapted to synergistic orchestration of processing amongst a series of interconnected cores. To reduce power consumption and heat generation, an operation voltage or a clock speed of each core of the multi-core processor is independently controlled and an operation state including an idle state is controlled in some multi-core products. Therefore, various attempts have been conducted to obtain a method of allocating and re-allocating cores of a multi-core for optimizing process performance.